


Baby be a giant, let the world be small

by zagero



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Established Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, M/M, Magnus and Alec are the main focus, the others make an appearance briefly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-19
Updated: 2016-04-19
Packaged: 2018-06-03 05:45:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6599074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zagero/pseuds/zagero
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alec pulls the man beside him under his arm and after a barely there moment Magnus wraps an arm around his middle. The way Alec has become more comfortable touching him around people sends Magnus’s heart to beat faster in his chest, and makes him valiantly try not to just beam at the other man.</p><p> <br/>or the one where Alec and Magnus touch each other casually and the one time their touches are definitely not of casual nature.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Baby be a giant, let the world be small

**Author's Note:**

> In the light of where 1x13 left us and how it seems we don’t get casual couple-y touches for Malec this thing started to shape itself in my brain and wouldn’t let me be in peace before I wrote it.  
> The title is borrowed from Robbie Williams’s song Go Gentle.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this fluffy fic about casual touches because that is what this is about. Apart from the +1, which is the reason for the rating.
> 
> And before I let you read this thing, please excuse my English, as it’s not my native language and all the mistakes that come with that.

1.

Alec reads the text he received a few moments ago again, just to check on the address of the coffee shop where he had agreed to meet Magnus for a quick lunch. The street is busy, bustling but once Alec stops in front of the window of the shop the inside seems pretty calm. Magnus doesn’t seem to be inside, from what Alec can tell from the outside so he reaches for his phone, _again_ , to check the time but before he can light up the screen of the device something catches his attention in the corner of his eye.

Turning his eyes towards the movement Alec spots Magnus in the stream of people and a small smile finds its way to his lips. Magnus, like always, doesn’t look like he belongs to a busy street in the middle of ordinary people and Alec can see people staring at this extraordinary man but once Magnus sees him he doesn’t have eyes for anyone else on the street. A small shiver follows after the thought, climbing up and down his back, and his smile gets ever so slightly wider.

“Alexander! I hope I didn’t keep you waiting for too long?” is what Magnus says once he is in hearing range and for a moment Alec can’t answer because the man standing just a couple of steps away takes his breath away. ”N-no. I -. I just got here myself. ” Alec stammers for an answer and lifts his hand to the back of his head in a nervous gesture. He can feel heat creeping up his neck and his cheeks, sure that he is turning redder by the minute.

Magnus steps closer and places his hand gently to the small of Alec’s back and with a smile says “Shall we?”

The touch is barely there, so small, so casual that it makes Alec jump a little and take a step away from the warlock. The gesture isn’t anything grand nor is it the first time Magnus has done this, not by far, but it catches the taller man completely off guard here in the middle of a busy street. Here, where Alec is naturally more cautious, constantly on guard. Alec turns just in time to see the mostly concealed confused look on Magnus’s face before the man drops his hand away like it never was there.

Alec steps back to where he was almost immediately cursing his instincts in his head. One look at Magnus tells Alec that the warlock has decided to give Alec more space even when that isn’t really necessary. Space for habits Alec is trying to unlearn.

“I’m sorry.” Alec breathes out in a rush and he reaches for Magnus’s hand, stepping into the shorter man’s space. “I’m sorry -” Alec feels stupid for repeating the words but he can’t figure out how to explain this to Magnus and he knows _he needs to explain this_. Magnus laces their fingers together after a moment, and smiles and says “I understand” like he so often does. Alec can feel tension bleed out of him because of course Magnus understands. He always has, from the start, before Alec understood himself. Alec feels a feeling swell in his chest and he knows it’s not far from love, and he just wants to bend down and kiss the shorter man.

Nothing is stopping him from doing it.

With a small smile Alec bends down just enough to press a chaste, quick kiss to the warlock’s lips before he straightens up. Before he is tugging the shorter man after him to the coffee shop and Magnus looks at Alec with wonder and awe so much like he did at the wedding. The warlock briefly wonders if this is going to be how things will always be between them - Magnus understanding what the taller man wants to say before he can articulate his thoughts and Alec resolving to actions when his words fail him.

They are stood in the line in no time, fingers laced together so comfortably that Magnus briefly wonders if Alec actually took a step away from him in the first place. The boy right beside him still finds ways to surprise him, which shouldn’t leave Magnus in awe anymore but it always does. Alec only let’s go when he turns to pay for their meal but doesn’t step away from the bubble they share.

Magnus let’s Alec guide him to a free table with a hand on the small of his back. “Not a word about making statements.” Alec says with a barely concealed smile when they sit down at the table. Magnus merely smirks, happy and free, before he places his hand on his chest right on his heart like a promise and says “Not a word.” Alec looks at the warlock but doesn’t give a voice to the thoughts running through his head, thoughts of gratitude, appreciation and something a kind to love.

  

2.

Mornings are always early, but they are slow mainly because Alec wants to have a moment of peace before the whirlwind of the day catches him and drags him away. Alec stumbles out of bed first, mostly awake, out of the comfortable cocoon where Magnus still tries to pretend he is sleeping.

Alec doesn’t have to think about his morning routine. It hasn’t changed much in the past few months even if the location has changed into a place Alec hesitantly calls home in his own head. A quick shower, sometimes prolonged by Magnus, dressing and gearing up before Alec makes a half an attempt at taming his hair before giving up with a sigh.

When Alec makes his way to the kitchen he can hear the coffee maker gurgling away. Magnus stands at the kitchen aisle fiddling with tea leafs and a pot. His movements are slow and a yawn stalls his movements above the pot for a moment before he resumes to fill the pot with hot water.

Alec takes a moment to just look at Magnus, who has draped a rich purple robe over himself, before making his way to the kitchen. The early morning light from outside doesn’t light the entire room properly, instead it makes Magnus look like he is bathed in the light, glowing.

Alec steps properly into the room, close to Magnus, his fingers itching to touch the other man. He slides his arms gently around Magnus’s waist and presses a soft kiss at the nape of his neck before he mumbles “Morning” against the skin. Alec can feel Magnus lean back against him before the man in his arms answers “Good morning” with a tired but smiling voice. Magnus closes the lid of the teapot before he leans back a bit more and takes one of Alec’s hands in his, twining their fingers together.

The moment is short and sweet. Alec gently pries himself away once the coffee maker stops making noises. Alec knows that the clock is steadily ticking closer to the moment he needs to leave for the Institute but drinking his morning coffee with Magnus is one of the few times of the day he can rely to spend with the other man. The dates they go to don’t really count for this, for a few moments of peace and quiet spent together.

Sitting down at the aisle with a steaming mug Alec grabs one of the croissants on the table. Their breakfast is usually a quiet and short affair, Alec having to leave for the Institute soon, always too soon.

Alec makes a leave when the kitchen is bathing in light from the outside, and on his way out he bends down to press a small kiss on Magnus’s temple before saying his goodbye. He walks to the door and steels himself for another day at the Institute.

Alec’s mornings haven’t changed that much but the few changes that have taken place he wouldn’t change for the world.

 

3.

Alec opens the door to the flat. He knows he is a little early (for once) and that Magnus is still with a client, but that hasn’t been an issue before, so he makes his way into the loft. He can hear conversation to the living room from the room Magnus sees his customers in. Alec is almost certain his arrival has been heard from the slight dip in conversation, and he decides to make his way to bedroom just to get rid of the few pieces of gear he is still wearing. He would probably have to wait until the business is done in the other room so he might as well make himself a bit more comfortable in the meantime.

Alec has time to only take a couple of steps towards the bedroom when the door to Magnus’s study opens and the man walks out with a client in tow. The client looks to be a slightly older and shorter woman in an eccentric outfit of several kinds of fabrics in multitude of colours. She is still beautiful, even when age seems to have chipped away from a rounder face to one with sharper edges and a few wrinkles.

“Ah, Alexander!” Magnus takes a few steps towards him and when Alec stands beside the warlock Magnus places a hand on the center of Alec’s back, slightly pushing him towards his customer. “Meet Surfinia.”

The introduction is brief, he shakes the seelie’s hand and he steps back to stand beside the warlock. Alec pulls the man beside him under his arm and after a barely there moment Magnus wraps an arm around his middle. The way Alec has become more comfortable touching him around people sends Magnus’s heart to beat faster in his chest, and makes him valiantly try not to just beam at the other man.

Surfinia is looking at them with a keen eye, far more interested in their interaction than Alec thinks is normal but the woman is smiling so he decides not to worry about it too much. Magnus and Surfinia exchange a few words Alec tunes out in favour of just looking at the man beside him, just to hear his voice. The words wouldn’t make much sense anyway, them speaking about business Alec has little idea what it is even about.

Magnus takes a small step away from Alec once the conversation moves to pleasantries. The warlock gestures his hands in preparation of conjuring a portal and soon magic is swirling out of his hands and a brightly shimmering portal opens up on the doorway behind Surfinia. Surfinia spares them a glance just as Magnus steps back to Alec’s arms and in her airy voice bids them goodbye before stepping into the portal. The portal shimmers for a short while before it disappears.

And just for a moment they stand in the middle of a hallway in each other’s arms staring at where the portal was. “All done for the day?” Alec asks after a moment, glancing down to catch a look of mischief on the shorter man’s face. “Oh yes. You?” Magnus traces a line down his chest with his fingers and lets his fingers dance on Alec’s belt buckle and Alec can do nothing but let out a breathless laugh before he mutters just as breathless “Yes” against the warlock’s lips.

 

4.

Another day finds Magnus at the Institute with little knowledge of where his boyfriends is currently at. Saving the world undoubtedly, but where he exactly is information that hasn’t been relayed to Magnus.  Magnus himself had been called into the Institute to give his two cents of an old artefact the Institute had got their hands on. He’d done what had been asked, and to be honest it hadn’t taken much time nor was it terribly interesting. What Magnus had hoped to get from this visit was to see Alec, not much else.

So Magnus waits. No matter how many times Alec has gone to a mission and returned in one piece does it make waiting any easier. His mind is on a unhelpful reel of what could go wrong and Magnus worries even when he knows how good Alec is at his work.

Luck seems to be on his side because soon enough he hears chatter before he can see the small band of shadowhunters. This alone makes Magnus relax a bit, but only once Magnus sees the group round the corner and spots Alec does the worry pass. Well most of it. The first one of the group to realise Magnus is standing there, waiting for them is Izzy who immediately asks “Magnus?” once he registers to her. At the sound of his name Alec finally looks up from his phone, eyes searching and almost immediately landing on Magnus.

Surprise is evident on Alec’s face for a moment but it passes soon. “The artefact?” is what he says and it sounds much like a question when he’s really reminding the rest of the group why Magnus is at the Institute in the first place. No ‘hey’ or ‘hello’ but it’s just how Alec is at the Institute. All business. So Magnus just nods in answer with a charming smile and says “Couldn’t tell you much more than what you had on it. You lot on the other hand seem to have had quite an adventure.” Magnus says as he takes in the appearance of Alec, Izzy, Jace and Clary, and notices the spatter of blood all over the group, some of it haphazardly wiped off.

“Not just a walk in a park?” Magnus asks with a smile even when all he wants to do is to step closer to Alec and make sure the man hadn’t hurt himself fighting whatever they had been taking care of. “Just a few rogue forsakens.” Jace explains Alec nodding in tow. Nothing unusual, just a normal day for a shadowhunter but the blood nags at Magnus.

Magnus grasps Alec’s elbow gently, the touch is barely there but Magnus can tell Alec feels it from the way his shoulders loose some tension and he seems to relax ever so slightly. Magnus doesn’t step more than two paces from Alec for the entire time the team gears down and replaces their weapons in their rightful place on the stands. He is hovering, he knows but can’t quite help it - seeing the blood just serves as a reminder of Alec’s mortality even when it’s not his. Magnus is mostly certain none of the blood is Alec’s.

Depositing the weaponry and Alec reminding the rest of the team about paperwork takes just a moment, and soon Alec is on his way to his office, Magnus in step with him. Once inside and behind a closed door Magnus takes a few steps closer to the table where Alec has already made his way to.

Magnus gestures towards Alec with blue sparks of magic at his fingertips and the blood vanishes from Alec’s clothes and skin, finally. The small burst of magic around Alec just makes the taller man glance up, before he looks back down to himself to see all the gore gone. He looks up again when he hears the warlock say “Much better” and Magnus is smirking but Alec must see something edging in his expression because in just a few steps the man is standing close enough to touch.

“I’m fine.” Alec says, tries to reassure him yet it doesn’t keep Magnus from reaching for the younger man, placing his hand right on the center of his chest, above his heart, feeling the heart beat steadily beneath his fingers. Alec places his hand on top of the warlock’s, the look on his face tender as it so often is when Magnus worries. Sometimes the worry is met with rolling eyes but Alec always finds a way to assure the warlock of how he is always going to return to Magnus, for as long as he is alive.

So Alec snakes a hand to Magnus’s neck and the warlock leans into the touch. Alec tugs at the hairs on the nape of Magnus’s head before he pulls the shorter man closer, trapping their hands still placed above his heart in between them and bends down towards Magnus who meets him halfway.  The kiss is unhurried, dry lips touching in assurance.

Knock at the door pulls them back away from the kiss. Alec takes a step back but before he gets too far Magnus steals a quick peck from him and drops his hand from Alec’s chest. For a moment the younger man looks like he wants to pull Magnus to him and hold him, but decides against it. The little bubble they were in finally bursts when Alec looks away and calls “Yeah?” towards the door and gets back to his table.

 

5.

Magnus had suggested that they would head out tonight, eat somewhere nice. Alec had agreed, not really thinking it would be anything that special. What he had walked into when he’d returned from the Institute was Magnus digging into his wardrobe barely dressed. He hadn’t stopped talking once Alec had made his presence known in the bedroom, telling the taller man of the place they would be eating at. Half of which Alec has already forgotten, if he heard it in the first place. The muscles shifting on Magnus’s back as the man looks for his outfit are a nice distraction.

They are headed to somewhere nice enough to require Alec to wear a suit. So now he is standing in the bathroom staring at his unruly hair in dark navy slacks and a white dress shirt. Alec is usually happy enough with his hair if it isn’t falling in front of his eyes, but he has a feeling that tonight he should do something to it.

Not that his hair ever listens to him.

Alec has product in his hands. He isn’t all that sure what it is but he has seen Magnus use it, and he has made a valiant effort to run the product through his hair to try to get the strands to settle in a nicer way instead of being their usual unruly mess.

A frustrated sigh summons Magnus into the bathroom with a smile and without a word he lowers Alec’s hands from his own hair just to run his through it.

The way Magnus runs his fingers through Alec’s hair is not only soothing, it also sends a small shiver down his back. Magnus brushes his hands through the mess only a few times and when he pulls back Alec can see the strands settling like he had wanted them to in the first place. Alec isn’t entirely sure if Magnus used magic to help with his hair even when he couldn’t feel the tell-tale bursts of magic along his skin.

“How do you even do that?” escapes out of Alec’s mouth without his permission with a bewildered look of on his face.  Magnus answers with a light laugh “Practice, darling.” and Alec can’t fight the fond smile making its way to his lips. “Now let’s get you fully dressed!” Magnus says and drags him from the bathroom back to their bedroom.

Once Alec shrugs the dark navy jacket on he can feel Magnus’s eyes tracking him in the suit, head to toe, and he is sure a look of appreciation is on the warlock’s face even when he doesn’t really know what warrants it. He turns around just to have his suspicion confirmed before he lets his eyes sweep up and down on the man standing in front of him. And Alec can’t believe how he got here, in their bedroom, standing so close to Magnus who is clad in one of the darker maroon coloured suits with gold and glitter shimmering here and there. Stealing his breath away.

 

\+ 1

When the two of them stumble back into the flat from Pandemonium they are both laughing and the evening is almost turning into a morning. For once they have an opportunity to spend a bit more time with one another than usual, and they are almost delirious with it, smiles wide on their faces, chuckles in tow. Seeing Magnus so carefree makes Alec want to taste the happiness on his lips and he does, their smiles melting together. Their smiles slowly turn into unhurried kisses and grasping hands, pulling each other closer. And they haven’t really even made their way into the flat, the front door just closed behind them.

It’s Magnus who takes a small step away and tugs at Alec, tries to get the taller man to follow him to the bedroom but Alec pulls Magnus back to him, bringing their bodies flush together, like they had been in the club but now barely swaying to non-existing music. The movement is less like a dance and much more of a pull and push of grinding together. Fingers pulling at clothing but falling short of actually getting anything off in favour of grasping to feel the other.

“Bedroom, c’mon. -” Magnus mutters against Alec’s lips, and sighs when the taller man moves to kiss his neck. “- Alexander” the name leaves his lips in a breathless mutter before Magnus steps away from Alec again, takes his hand and leads the other with him towards their bedroom with hurried steps.

Once the two of them step into the bedroom Alec pulls Magnus closer with a hand on the small of his back. The urgency the younger man felt seems to have faded a little but he is no less intense in his attention towards Magnus. His hands are travelling down Magnus’s back with a purpose, clever fingers finding their way beneath the material of Magnus’s shirt, pulling them flush together again.

Feeling Alec hard against him always sends a thrill down Magnus’s back, his fingers tickling the warlocks sides, and with a laugh and a breathless “Less clothing!” from Magnus, they start discarding their clothing by hand, rather than resort to magic, because tonight there is no hurry, no obligations waiting for them, no disasters to be taken care of.

Slowly, in between kisses, clothing starts to pile on the floor, forgotten. Hands grasping at naked skin as they stumble down to the bed. Alec laying down on his back, tugging Magnus on top of him with urgent fingers and he settles between Alec’s legs kissing skin where he can reach it, making Alec sigh and shiver at the contact. A little burst of magic conjures lube and condoms right next to them, Alec rolling his eyes with a huff of a laugh and before he can open his mouth to say something smart about senseless use of magic Magnus shuts him up with a kiss.

It’s all slow, unhurried touches, arching against each other and breathless kisses that lead to Magnus preparing Alec. One of Alec’s hands running through Magnus’s hair, sometimes mindlessly scratching, like the man doesn’t have full control over his limbs, little noises falling from his mouth in reaction to Magnus’s ministrations. Magnus starts to search in earnest for that little bundle of nerves inside Alec and when he finds it Alec grips the bedsheet beside his head with a white knuckled grip, head thrown back in silent moan.

Head still tilted back on the pillow, his mouth moving in silent murmur but after a few more moments of Magnus’s fingers in him, opening him further, Alec finds his voice “Magnus, that’s enough- please, _Magnus_ ”, the tone of his voice enough to send the warlock into careful movement, replacing his fingers with his cock, with a soft “Yeah, I got you.”.

The first few tentative thrusts make Alec tighten his thighs around Magnus. In a few moments they move together in that nearly hypnotic rhythm they fall to so easily now. Fumbling of their early encounters in bed just a distant memory, in its place familiarity that Magnus aches for when the archer isn’t near. Holding up a glamour to hide his eyes in these moments is the last thing in Magnus’s mind and when he looks up to Alec, he can feel a shiver travel through the younger man’s body.

One deeper thrust makes Alec blindly reach one hand to grasp at Magnus’s side before he slides it to the center of the warlock’s back to pull him closer, chasing after the sensation. Magnus marvels at how this strong body capable of so much is now underneath him just chasing after pleasure and mutters “Oh Alexander, my beautiful nephilim” against his skin.

Another thrust makes Alec moan Magnus’s name, and the way Alec says his name in the throes of passion sends a full body shiver down Magnus’s back, makes him chase the taste of his skin with his mouth, pressing an open mouthed kiss right above Alec’s heart, his thrusts never faltering. Magnus whispers a suggestion to Alec’s skin in between kisses “Touch yourself, darling” only half wondering if Alec can hear him from the constant noise he is making. The fingers gripping the bedsheet uncurl and the hand moves slowly to grip his cock, just to grip loosely around his cock at first, and then slowly pumping it in time with Magnus’s thrusts.

Sparks of blue magic skitter along Alec’s skin when Magnus loses the tight control over his magic and Alec’s reaction is immediate; he arches his back and a whine escapes his mouth in the shape of Magnus’s name again and again, _and again_. The sparks send him teetering over the edge and he lets himself loose to the familiar, almost blinding pleasure in Magnus’s arms.

The feeling of Alec reaching his orgasm, the muscles around him contracting, makes Magnus let go, let’s himself surrender to pleasure after Alec, Alec who is holding him tight, his hand having found its way to Magnus’s hair, slowly petting the damp strands.

When Magnus can feel his breaths evening out Alec bends down a little and places a small kiss on his temple. Alec’s fingers are resting against his back, gently massaging the spot where his fingers had been digging to muscle, soothing the hurt away with tender touches. Magnus feels boneless, safe and happy, so happy.

Alec feels the breaths of the man lying on top of him even out and steadily grow deeper, and with a huff of laugh he opens his mouth to say “Don’t fall asleep on me now.”. A small smile tugs at the corner of Magnus’s mouth as he answers “Am not.” and he lifts his head just enough to press a kiss to Alec’s collarbones and neck.

The movement is enough for Alec to turn them to their side, Magnus cleaning the sheets with a small flick of magic. After a little manoeuvring they are curled together, safe in a cocoon of blankets, fingers still drawing slow patterns on skin and then finally, slowly falling asleep.

**Author's Note:**

> It’s been 8 years since I’ve last written and posted a fic. I hope you enjoyed it!


End file.
